Pedigrees of a Different Nature
by soulmatesDC
Summary: A conversation between Derek and Casey can be applied to something other than the current topic.  Short, oneshot.


A/N: I went to the park the other day with a friend and we watched the dogs for a little while. There were comments made about one of the dogs being a slut, which I found hysterical, and then my Dasey brain ran away from me. I don't like this all that much, but I never like my own stuff.

Enjoy and review

Disclaimer: I own nothing

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"Please Smerek. Please please please!" Marti whined, clasping her hands in front of her face, pouting out her lower lip and giving him her best puppy dog eyes.

Honestly, Derek never stood a chance.

"Go ahead Marti," Derek said as he unlatched the hook on the fence and opened it just enough for her to squeeze through. He placed his elbow on the top and leaned his chin on his fist as he watched her laughing and running around the enclosed area.

He had heard her heels clicking on the pavement as she approached from behind. The clicking turned into the crunching of dry leaves and he smiled to himself when he heard her swear because she stepped into the hole he stepped into just minutes before.

"You've got to be kidding me," she said, nose wrinkled in distaste as she held a hotdog out to him. Derek just smirked as he bit into it, licking the mustard that smeared on his upper lip. The hotdog was finished in a couple of bites and she handed him the one that was meant for Marti, wiping her hands on the back of her thighs.

"Marti," Derek called, holding up the hotdog. Her head popped up from behind a large shaggy dog and called "You can have it."

"This isn't what I signed up for when I agreed to come to the park with you guys," she said before taking a sip from the water bottle that was under her arm.

"I hadn't realized you agreed to come with us," Derek told her after he finished the second hotdog. He reached into her bag after she put the water away and gulped half of it down. She rolled her eyes and reluctantly took back the bottle when he handed it to her, placing it in her bag again and zipping it closed this time.

"Agreeing to come, being forced to drive because you _don't_ have your license yet," she waved her hand in the air, "same difference." Casey blew the non-existent dust off the top of the fence before placing her chin on top of her folded hands. "I just didn't know we'd stop at the _dog park_," she practically spat the last two words.

"They're kind of cute," he said, walking up beside her and leaning against the fence.

"No comment," she said as a small white dog came yapping up to them.

They stood in silence, watching the dogs interact with each other and Marti chasing after them.

"Which is your favorite?" Derek asked as he bent down and stuck a finger through the fence, scratching a nearby dog on the head.

Without hesitating, Casey said "None."

"Come on Case," he stood again and faced her. "There has to be one here that you think is cute."

Lifting her head off her hands, Casey's eyes roamed over the dog park. There was a wide variety of dogs, all ranging in breed, size and volume of yappiness. Her eyes landed on a small tan dog not too far away from them, but separated from the other dogs.

"That one," she nodded her head in its direction.

"Aah, I should have known," Casey turned to look at him and raised her eyebrows in question. "A puggle, half pug half beagle," he explained, "otherwise known as a 'designer dog'." He pointed past Casey towards the dog in question.

"How d'you . . .you know what, nevermind." Casey turned away from him and looked for Marti. She was currently being licked by a tiny dog with its tail wagging and Casey cringed.

"Puggles are a bit too girly for me," Derek began he stood besides Casey, a slight smile on his face. "But I have to say that out of all of these-" his hand waved in the direction of the dogs but he kept looking at Casey "-the pug over there is my favorite."

Casey turned and searched for the little tan dog with the smushed face and curly tail. She couldn't locate it at first, until she looked closer at the group of dogs in the other corner of the fenced area. In the center of the group was the dog Derek speaking about, with his head held high and every other dog following him around, sniffing in inappropriate places.

She snorted. "Of course you'd pick the one that's practically a prostitute."

Derek looked shocked, eyes darting to the dogs and then back to Casey's face. "He is not a prostitute . . . I don't even think dogs can be prostitutes." Casey rolled her eyes. "It's not his fault that he's just popular."

Turning and looking at the pug again, Casey watched as the other dogs crowded around him. It was obvious that the pug was basking in the attention it was receiving, looking as if it was commanding the surrounding dogs.

Casey made a noise in the back of her throat.

"He can't even help it." Derek continued and her eyes briefly flicked in his direction. "The others are probably attracted to his personality."

"He seems cocky," Casey retorted. "And I'm sure the other dogs don't really like him. Or at least the ones with class don't," she pointed towards the puggle, who wasn't paying attention to the other dogs in the park.

"Maybe," he said and his tone made Casey completely turn around and face him. Derek was looking towards the pug, but his eyes weren't focused and his expression was a bit dazed. "But maybe that's just the role he's put into. Maybe he doesn't want to be that way but he doesn't know how to change. It really sucks that she wouldn't give him a chance"

Casey stared at him for a moment, contemplating exactly what she wanted to say and why she felt that it didn't exactly apply to the four legged animal across the park. "He can try," she spoke so softly that she was afraid Derek didn't hear her.

"What's the point?" Derek asked turning his eyes to Casey, and he seemed so dejected that she almost reached out and touched him. Almost.

"New experiences, friendships . . . I dunno."

They heard a small, soft bark and both turned to see the pug trying to get the attention of the puggle. She, the puggle, didn't seem interested in the pug at all, and when the other dogs followed the pug over, she walked away.

"You see," Derek pointed. "She wouldn't even give him the time of day. And they could be doggie soulmates." He attempted a smirk, but to Casey it was a small sad smile.

Casey couldn't look away, and when she answered she couldn't help but feel like they definitely weren't talking about dogs anymore. "They're practically related Derek." And she felt like she was in dangerous territory, because that was exactly what she would tell herself everyday, in regards to her own life.

The smile only got a little sadder. "No, they're not." Casey's heart clenched. "Just because someone decided it would be okay to make alterations and form some kind of–," he paused and Casey wanted to offer 'family' as the missing word, but Derek continued after a moment "– 'Designer dog'. They are in no way related Case, no way at all."

Not being able to hold Derek's gaze, she turned back towards the fence just as Marti was squeezing her way out, patting the pug on the head as she shut and re-latched the gate.

"Can we get some ice cream on the way home Smerek?" she asked and Derek's eyes darted towards Casey for a moment.

"After we get some real food in you. We don't want Casey to tell dad and Nora that I didn't feed you properly."

Marti smiled and took Derek's hand as she led him along the path to the car. Casey followed, turning around one last time before the trees obstructed her view of the dog park.

And when she turned back and followed Derek and Marti she had a bright smile on her face, because the pug got away from his followers and the puggle finally gave him a chance. To Casey, the interaction between two dogs had never meant so much.


End file.
